Animal-catcher.



W. H. SHINDOLL.

ANIMAL CATCHBR. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1912.

.1,054,044h Patente-d Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z5? Z BylzzlsAZafzzWs W. H. SHINDOLL. ANIMAL CATCHER. APPLICATION FILED sBPT.11, 1912.

1,054,044. Patented Feb. 25,1913.

TED l situati-*Es PATENT OFFICE.

. y WILLIAM H. SHINDOLL, 0F ARLINGTON, SOUTH `DAKQTA.

ANIMAL-carolina.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.y

Application filed September 11, 1912. Serial No. 719,757.

enable others skilled in the art to which it,

appertains to make and use the same.

My invent-ion has for its object to provide an improved animal catcher, especially adapted for use in catching hogs or other animals by the legs, and, to thisv end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.-

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a view of the improved catcher, set in a position to apply the slip loop of the lasso around the hogs hind leg; Fig. 2 is a view of the improved lasso, secured to the hogs leg, the device for applying the lasso being removed; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slip loop end of the lasso and the deviceused in applying the same around the leg of an animal, said parts being in their open or set positions, some part-s being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vdetail view in plan, on an enlarged scale, of some of the parts shown in Fig. 3, said parts being moved into different positions from those shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is'a section, taken on the line as m6 of Fig. 5 Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line a :v7 ofFig. 6, some parts beingbroken' away; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of a releasable'keeper, and a portion of the lasso to which it is secured.

The improved lasso, which, as shown, is in t-he form of a rope or cable, has interposed .in its slip loop a separable coupling comprising a pair of interlocking y members 2 Vand 3. The coupling member 2 is in the form of a. comparatively wide hook, having c ut or punched in its shank an elongated veye 4, to which is permanently secured the' free end of the slip loop of the lasso 1. The coupling member 3 is in the form of a link, adapted to, receive and hold the hook 2, and is connectf I ed, by intermediate links to a comparatively large link 6, through which the sli l loop portion of the lasso 1 is 4passed, an slidably works.

For applying the slip loop of the lassol around the leg of an animal, is provided a pair of cooperating grapple jaws 7 and 8, mounted on a flat head ieee 9, having a receiving socket 10. The inner end portion of the-grapple jaw 7 is secured by rivets .or otherwisef'to the head piece 9, and the inner end portion of the grapple jaw 8 is secured toward and from the grapple jaw 7. As shown, the grapple jaws 7 and 8 are preferably cut or punched from sheet metal, and thelr .inner edge portions are bent or turned inwardly and Aupwardly to form, res ec tively, retaining flanges 12 and 13. atv erally spaced from the flange 12, and rigidly secured to the outer edge portion ofthe fixed grapple jaw 8, 'is an upwardlyprojecting retaining flange 14. These retaining flanges 12, 1 3 and 14 coperate to keep the slip loop of the lasso 1 properly positioned lon ythe the free end of the arm 15, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The grapple jaws 7 and 8 are supported in a slightly 'elevated position above the ground by a ground-en a ing wheel-16, journaled to a depending iircated bracket 17, secured tothe under face of the 'head 9. For movingy the wheel lover they ground one end of -a long push pole 18'is secure push pole 18 at a point Vadjacent to the socket 10. -1

bers 2 and 3 on the grapple j aws 7 and 8, and in positions for interlocking vengagement with each;` other, at the time the grapple grapple jaws 7 and 8. By reference to Fig. v

at its inner end portion to the head piece 9 by a. pivot pm 11, for swinging movement sion 1,5 is ilat, `and extends in a horizontal direction, and its edges are tapered toward within the socket 10 of the head 9. A i sheave 19 for the lassoy 1 is secured to the For-releasably holding the coupling inem-` i jaws 7 and 8 are closed, a. pair of keepers 19 land areF secured, respectively, to the grapple jaws 8 and 7. The keeper 19 is in the form of a channel piece, rigidly secured to the upper face and-near the free end portion` of the movable grapple jaw 8, with its side Yflanges turned horizontally toward the pivot pin 11. The distance between the side flanges of 'the keeper19 is such as to vpermit the shank of the hook 2 to .be projected edgewise therebetween, and to be moved laterally therefro1n,as best shown in Fi 6;

o prevent the shank of the hook 2 from being pulled backward through the keeper 19, and also to hold the same in an upright position, said 'shank is provided at its edges with a pair of reversely projecting guide lugs 21. These guide lugs 21 are seated in a pair of guide 'notches 22, cut in the front edge portions of the side lianges of the keeper 19'. Also cut in the vertical web of the keeper 19 is a notch 23, as shown in Fig. 6, which permits free movement of the lasso 1 at a point where the same is connected to the shank of the hook 2. A leaf spring 24 is secured at 25 to the top vside flange of the keeper 19, and its free end is bent so as to engage the upper lug 21, as best shown in Fig. 6, thereby yieldingly holding the shank of the hook 2 in the keeper 19.

As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the keeper 20 is in the formof a yoke, construct-ed from a channel piece of metal, the flanges of which are turned inward. The prongs of the yoke-like` keeper 20 project horizonl tally, and they are intermediately pivoted at.

2 6 to the grapple jaw 7 and the overlying flange of the channel-shaped bracket 27 secured to the grapple jaw 7, to permit herizontal swinging movement of the keeper 20. The yoke-like keeper 20 is of such size as to permit the link 3 to be projected' endwise therein, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Obviously, the side flanges of the yoke-likekeeper 20 hold the link 3 against lateral movement therefrom.

The yoke-like keeper 20 is yieldingly held by a coiled spring 28 in a normally set position, transversely of the hook 2, and in a position to permit said hook 2 to be projected through the link 3 at its free end,

when the grapple jaws 7 and 8 are closed, as

best' shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The spring 28 is anchored at one end to a, lug 29 on the vertical webof the bracket- 27` and its other end is anchored to the vertical or transverse portion of the yoke-like keeper 20. When in a normal position, the transverse portionl of the yoke-like keeper 20 is yieldingly held against the edge portion of the vertical web of the bracket V27, which acts as a stop to limit the swinging movement of the yokelike keeper 20.

When the grapple jaws7 and 8 are in their set oropen positions, the loop end of ythe lasso 1 rests loosely thereon and is held in its proper lposition by the retaining ianges 12 and 13. t a point where the link 6 embraces the lasso 1, said lasso is bent upon itself and held in this position by the retaining ianges 12 and 14, as shown in Fig. 3. From its slip .loop the lasso 1'eXtends over the `guide, sheave 19, `and. from thence to the r'ear end of the push pole or handle 18. Forclosing the grapple jaw 8 onto-the vgrapple jaw 7 the lasso 1 is releasably connected to the arm extension '15 by a keeper 30, permanently secured to the lasso 1, at a point between the slip loop thereof and a vpoint where the same passes over the guide sheave 19. This keeper 30, as shown, is preferably formed from a single piece of wire, bent to form a rectangular opening 31.

adapted to be telescoped onto the free end of the arm extension 15, and frictionally held by the tapered edges thereof.

The operation of the improved animal catcher may be briey stated as follows: The coupling members 2 and 3 are rst placed in their keepers 19 and 20 and the grapple jaw 8 moved into an open position. next the keeper 30 is forced onto the arm extension 15, the slip loop of the lasso 1 properly positioned, as shown in Fig. 3. and with the intermediate portion of the lasso l passed over the guide sheave 19. After the improved animal catcher is properly set, the free end of the push pole 18 is held in one of the operators hands and the free end of the lasso 1 is held in his other hand. The wheel supported grapple jaws 7 and 8 are then moved forward toward the animal,

which is desired to be caught, until they are in a position to embrace one of the ani-mals legs. As soon as the grapple jaws 7 and 8 are properly positioned, the operator pulls on the lasso 1, thereby moving the movable grapple jaw 8 into a closed position, with the hook2 projected through the link 3. By a continued pull on the lasso 1, after the grapple jaw 8 has been closed, the keeper 30 is pulled from the arm extension 13 and the slip loop of the lasso l is drawn against the retaining flanges 12 and 13. As the guide lugs 21 securely hold the hook 2 against backward movement in the keeper 19, the pulling strain on the lasso 1 will come on the link 3. This pulling strain'on the link 3 will swing the kee er 20 on its pivotal connections 25 againstp the tension of the spring 28, and into a position that is substantially alined -with the shank of the hook 2. The swinging movement of the keeper 20 will bring the free end portion Aof the link 3 back of the hook 2. By a continued pull on the lasso 1, the link 3 is moved endwise out of its keeper 2,0, at the same time interlocking time is also released'from the keeper 19 against the tension of the spring 24. The slip loop of the lasso 1 is now free from the grapple jaws 7 and 8, and secured about the g animals leg.

The above described device, While extremely simple and of comparatively small cost to manufacture, has, in actual practice, been found highly eilicient for the purpose had in view.

What I claim is: L

l. The combination with a lasso having a separable coupling interposed in its slipl loop, of means for releasabl)Y support-ing the slip loop of said lasso in an open position, and means operative to close said slip loop andto couple together the elements of said separable coupling.

2. The combination with a lasso having a separable coupling interposed in its slip loop, of means for releasably supporting the slip loop of ysaid lasso in an open position, said means operative, under a pulling act-ion on said lasso, to close said slip loop, to

couple together the elements of said sepa- Y rable coupling. and to release said slip loop from its supporting means.

3. The combination with a lasso having a separable coupling interposed in its slip loop. ot' a handle having a pair of coper-v ating grapple supporting the slip loop of said lasso in an open position over said grapple jaws, and i means operative, under a pulling act-ion on said lasso, to close said grapple jawsl and thereby couple together the elements of said jaws, means for releasably separable cou bling, and to release said slip loop from saiil grapple jaws. l 1. The combination with a lasso having a g separable coupling interposed in its slip z loop, of a handle having a pair of grapple jaws. one of which is fixed and the other of mvhich is movably mounted, an operating arm on said movable grapple jaw, keepers on said grapple jaws for releasably holding the elements of said separable coupling in position, t'or interlocking engagement,` and a keeper forreleasably connecting said lasso v to the arni of said movable grapple jaw. j 5. rFhe combination with a lasso having a i separable coupling interposed in the slip l loop, of a handlehaving a pair of grapple l jaws. one of `which is xed and the other of {Which is pivotally mounted, an operating l arm on said movable grapple jaw, a fixed keeper inpsaid' movable jaw, and al movable i keeper on said fixed jaw, for releasably holding the elements of said separable l coupling in position for interlocking engagementf a keeper for releasably connecting g 'said lasso to the arm of said movable grapj' ple jaw, andretaining flanges on said grapl ple jajv for holdingthe slip loop of said lasso thereon. j i ln 'testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence-of two witnesses.

l 'WILLIAM H. SHINDOLL. Witnesses L. S. MADSON,

A. W. CARLSON. 

